Blood Crave 2 by Jennifer Knight

grunted. “He won’t break the Pact. But he wouldn’t have broken his word either. You didn’t need to make him do that.”
    I bit my tongue, unable to believe that Lucas was actually defending Rolf. But I let the issue drop.
    “What was all that business about getting permission to stay at CSU?” I asked. “Rolf acted like you were supposed to be here hunting or whatever.”
    Lucas leaned against the wall and said, “Pack members have to hunt vampires. It’s a duty we all swear to when we join. It’s like a job. If you don’t do it, you get fired—aka, kicked out of the pack. And nobody wants to get kicked out.”
    Derek was paying close attention to this and asked Lucas, “So you kill vampires?”
    “Yup.”
    “Why?”
    “Because they’re evil. And they kill people. And if werewolves didn’t protect the humans, they’d turn into fodder.”
    “So why don’t you hunt?” I asked Lucas.
    “I do. Well—I did before I went to CSU.” At my blank look, Lucas continued. “Remember I told you I went to CSU to try and hide from Vincent?”
    I nodded.
    “Yeah, well, I was kind of on a special ... scholarship.”
    “Meaning?”
    “We can appeal to the Council for permission to live in the human world. So we can go to college or med school or get into politics—stuff like that. The scholarship only lasts about ten years and then you have to stop and come back to do your duty. It’s how pack members get connections for the pack, both legal and illegal.”
    “But you’d been to school before,” I said, recalling that he had several degrees. “Why’d Rolf let you go to CSU if you already have so many degrees?”
    “These were special circumstances. Rolf knew about the deal with Vincent and allowed me to go incognito for a while to try and shake him off. He gave me a year. Normally, someone with as much school as me would have to wait until some of the younger ones were out. But, like I said. Special circumstances.”
    “So you have the rest of the year to be at CSU? And then what?”
    Lucas shook his head. “I killed Vincent before the year was up. I should be back with the pack now—that’s what Rolf was saying. He’s only letting me stay because of Derek. I’ll probably be there until he graduates and then have to come back.” He stifled a yawn behind his hand and cast a meaningful look up at the ceiling.
    Yeah, I was tired, too, but I wanted to make sure Derek was settled before I crashed. “Derek needs a bed,” I said. “And clothes and a shower.”
    “He doesn’t have time tonight,” Lucas said. “It’s getting close.”
    “Well, we can at least get him something to sleep on.”
    Lucas huffed as he trudged up the stairs. He returned in less than a minute bearing a sleeping bag and some food. He even brought some water like Derek had asked for earlier.
    “See you in the . . .” I stopped. I almost said see you in the morning. Derek just shrugged sadly. “See you tomorrow night,” I said finally.
    Way to rub salt in the wound.
    I went to Lucas, and he slung his arm over my shoulders as we exited. I knew he made the little possessive gesture to stake his claim over me in front of Derek and it ticked me off—nobody wants to feel like a tree that’s just been peed on—but I let Lucas do it. If this was how Lucas dealt with helping Derek, then I could deal with it.
    For now.

8
     
    INFLAMED
     
    L ucas and I slept all day. It was becoming a nasty habit I’d have to break once class started up again. But for now, there were still five days left of winter break, and I was content to sleep the days away snuggled next to Lucas. He was great to sleep with, so warm and cuddly. Like my ideal teddy bear.
    Or teddy wolf ... or whatever.
    I awoke at dusk with a smile on my lips. I could feel Lucas all the way down to my toes, pressed up against my back, molded to my body perfectly.
    “Lucas?” I whispered, wondering if he was awake.
    “I’m up,” he said softly. “Hi.”
    I wriggled